Control

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor built on Intel's Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on a 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration places the chip in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46881.

In the context of Control, a 2019 Action Adventure title, the i7-13700K's high single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The game's physics and gameplay logic rely on strong per-core throughput, and this processor delivers a 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2116. Multi-threaded capabilities are equally robust, with Cinebench R23 multi-core reaching 30745 and Geekbench multi-core at 19429. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10717 and max-thread score of 12412 indicate that the CPU has ample headroom for background tasks while gaming.

The processor's nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark performance include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (avg score 46971, delta -0.2%), AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (avg score 47022, delta -0.3%), AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (avg score 46654, delta +0.5%), and Intel Xeon w3-2535 (avg score 46653, delta +0.5%). These deltas are marginal, all within half a percent, meaning the i7-13700K sits in a tightly contested performance tier. For Control specifically, the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor at any resolution, as the game's visual effects and rendering load fall primarily on the GPU. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 114 FPS on average, which is well above playable thresholds and suggests the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K with the Intel Arc B580 ranks 2816 out of 3720 tested combos in Control, placing it in the 24th percentile of all possible pairings. This rank reflects not just the individual component strengths but how they interact in this specific title. The combo's placement is modest, indicating that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU holds the pairing back in this game's rendering environment.

To contextualize: the CPU alone sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The gap between these percentiles suggests a CPU-heavy imbalance in raw compute potential. However, Control's benchmark results reveal that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The combo rank of 2816 out of 3720 means roughly 75% of tested pairings outperform this specific CPU-GPU match in this game. This is not a reflection of the CPU's adequacy — the i7-13700K has more than enough processing power for Control — but rather a consequence of pairing a high-end 16-core processor with a mid-range GPU that ranks near the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (avg score 22895, delta +0.6%) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (avg score 23061, delta -0.2%).

The deltaPct values among GPU rivals are tight: the RTX 2080 is 0.6% below the Arc B580's average score of 23021, while the RTX 3080 is 0.7% lower and the P106-100 is 1% lower. This indicates the Arc B580 slots into a performance band where small percentage differences separate competitors. The combo rank is thus a function of the GPU's relative position in the broader GPU landscape, not a commentary on the CPU's ability to drive the game. In practical terms, this pairing will deliver playable frame rates at most settings, but it will not top leaderboards for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 72 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops this to 54 FPS, a 25% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 37 FPS, which is 48.6% lower than the 1080p High result. This scaling behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario: as pixel count rises, the rendering workload expands, and the GPU's fill rate and shading throughput become the determining factor.

The Arc B580's specifications support this interpretation. With 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units, the GPU has a theoretical pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s. These figures are modest for 4K rendering, especially in a game like Control with its particle effects and physics-based destruction. The FP32 throughput of 13.67 TFLOPS further underscores that 4K Ultra settings will strain this GPU.

The resolution scaling from 1080p Low (114 FPS) to 4K Low (58 FPS) shows a 49.1% drop, nearly identical to the High settings drop. This consistency indicates that the frame rate decline is driven by resolution-independent factors like pixel fill and memory bandwidth, rather than settings-specific effects. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s from 12 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where larger framebuffers and higher texture resolution demand more data throughput. The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal; a weaker processor would show a larger FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p, but the i7-13700K's strong multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R20 multi-core 16292, Passmark multithread 45887) ensures it is not the constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 114 FPS, making it the only measured configuration to exceed 100 FPS. Medium settings average 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 and maximum of 93 FPS, indicating stable frame pacing. High settings drop to 72 FPS average, while Ultra settings bring the average down to 62 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 52 FPS, demonstrating significant headroom for users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve shifts downward. Low settings average 86 FPS, Medium settings average 61 FPS with a minimum of 52 and maximum of 70 FPS, High settings average 54 FPS, and Ultra settings average 47 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 25-28% of performance across all settings, which aligns with the increased pixel count of 77%. The Medium settings data shows a 9 FPS gap between minimum and average, suggesting occasional dips under load, but the overall frame times remain within acceptable ranges for a game of this type.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 58 FPS, Medium settings average 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 48 FPS, High settings average 37 FPS, and Ultra settings average 32 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is below the 60 FPS target most players expect, and even Low settings only achieve 58 FPS. The Medium settings minimum of 35 FPS indicates that frame drops can be significant, particularly during intense combat sequences with multiple particle effects. For 4K gaming, users would need to compromise heavily on settings or rely on upscaling techniques to achieve smoother gameplay.

Across all resolutions, the data shows a consistent pattern: Low settings offer the best frame rates, Medium offers a balanced experience, High provides good visual quality with moderate performance, and Ultra delivers the highest fidelity at the cost of substantial FPS. The i7-13700K's role in these results is stable — the CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 4333 and Geekbench single-core score of 2529 ensure that even at 1080p Low, the processor is not the bottleneck, as evidenced by the 114 FPS average.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, codenamed Battlemage, and manufactured on TSMC's 5 nm process. The GPU features 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die, with a transistor density of 72.1M per mm². It operates at a base and boost clock of 2670 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 12 GB GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming but proves insufficient for 4K Ultra settings in Control.

The GPU's compute resources include 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 80 ROPs, and 20 ray tracing cores. The FP32 performance is rated at 13.67 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 27.34 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio). These specifications place the Arc B580 in the 68th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (score 23061, delta -0.2%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (score 22895, delta +0.6%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (score 23172, delta -0.7%), and NVIDIA P106-100 (score 23249, delta -1%). The small deltaPct values confirm that the Arc B580 competes with older high-end cards from previous generations.

In Control, the GPU's role is decisive. The 4K Ultra average of 32 FPS and the 1080p Ultra average of 62 FPS both indicate that the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 15748 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068 reflect its mid-range positioning. The DirectX 12 score of 76 in Passmark suggests that the GPU handles modern API workloads adequately but without the headroom of top-tier cards. The memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s is particularly relevant for Control's use of high-resolution textures and dynamic lighting, which require frequent memory access.

The GPU's power requirements include a 190 W TDP, a single 8-pin power connector, and a suggested 450 W PSU. The dual-slot design with a length of 272 mm and width of 45 mm makes it a standard-sized card. The PCIe 4.0 x8 interface is sufficient for this performance class, though it may limit future upgrade potential. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is generous for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the combination of resolution and settings can push memory usage close to the limit, particularly with Ultra textures.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1080p with High settings?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B580 achieves an average of 72 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings in Control.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 32 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. Even at 4K Low, the average is only 58 FPS.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested CPU-GPU pairings in Control?

A: This combo ranks 2816 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the lower 24th percentile of all pairings for this game.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU sits in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 68th percentile. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent drop that aligns with GPU-bound rendering.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The Intel Arc B580 has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 456.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3% delta). It edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535 by 0.5%.